A Relit Sign Heralds a Bright Future for Los Angeles's Highland Park

The sign might be lighting up the night now, but it still needs help. Maintenance costs will need to be covered, for example, especially to update the sign's antiquated wiring. Plus, there's a second sign covered under the grant, a neon sign for Manning's Coffee Store that sits atop Las Cazuelas restaurant. "We talked to a neon restoration guy and it's actually neon and opal glass—a very rare combination that dates back to the mid-1930s," she says. Currently a "T" and most of a "COFFEE" are still in need of adoption, at $66 per letter. Inouye says they hope to light that sign later this year.

Inuoye has her eye on a few more historic signs, which she thinks could help draw more urban tourists to explore the hidden gems in a neighborhood which is best known for its taco trucks. "Even if they just drive around and look at these signs, they'll start to see other things." Until then, Inouye suggests visiting the sign during Highland Park's Second Saturdays, when Figueroa's galleries and studios, including her own, Future Studio, are open to the public (and all accessible by the Gold Line). "People get the idea that we're this sleepy burgh but there's a lot going on here," she says. "We like it when people can see it's a fun, groovy community."